Existing in and out of the Box

When to Break the Rules

Typography rules have been established to help set standards based on years of traditions. There is a saying "to think outside of the box," meaning to try to break free of traditional rules of thought. As new technologies that include text content arise, so do new rules and the need to push the boundaries of the existing rules. We need to "create out of the box" and push those boundaries. Current "safe" rules that still apply and should always be the basis of rules you rewrite are as follows:

Keep text blocks easy to read by using good color contrast with the background.

Keep the design simple by choosing just a few typefaces and use variations for effect.

Keep each type of typeface in mind when you are applying them. (More will be covered about types of typefaces later in the course.)